LANDOVER – For 58 minutes yesterday, Steve Spurrier’s threat to fine his Washington players for committing foolish penalties and his stunning decision to use referees in practice this week seemed like the machinations of a genius, which Spurrier is known to consider himself.

The Redskins had built a 17-point on the Patriots by forcing four turnovers and committing just six penalties, one week after setting a franchise record by being flagged 17 times in an overtime loss to the Giants.

With two minutes left at FedEx Field, the lead had whittled to three, 20-17, and the Redskins desperately needed to run the clock. Instead, they marched backward. Center Larry Moore twice failed to snap the ball. Chris Samuels twice jumped.

“I don’t know what to say about the penalties,” said a flabbergasted Spurrier. “You’ll have to ask the players. ‘Why did you jump offsides?’ “

“Our center wouldn’t snap the ball at the end there,” continued Spurrier. “He wouldn’t snap the ball. He refused to snap it. He said he couldn’t hear the quarterback saying, ‘Hut! Hut!’ “

The two penalties made it third-and-16 at the 12.

“I think it’s fair to say we still need to work on that,” said tackle Jon Jansen after the Redskins held on to win 20-17.

In Spurrier’s second season, Washington is a work in progress. Patrick Ramsey threw an out pattern to Washington’s go-to receiver, former Jet Laveranues Coles. Coles caught the ball, took two steps and stretched the ball out as he went out of bounds for what seemed to be a first down.

The field officials said Coles didn’t control the ball and ruled it incomplete. Replay officials supported the call.

“My heart dropped,” said Coles. “I felt I had let my team down. I was just praying the defense would make a stop.”

It did. Washington held New England, which took over at the Redskins’ 45, without a first down. Tom Brady, who was sacked twice and intercepted three times, had his fourth-down pass for tight end Daniel Graham knocked away by Ifeanyi Ohalete.

“I didn’t make the throw,” said Brady.

There are many who believed the pass-happy Spurrier couldn’t win in this league because of his love affair with the forward pass. Yesterday was an acknowledgment that Spurrier has changed. The 3-1 Redskins ran the ball 29 times and attempted just 22 passes.

“His out-of-character play calling won the game for us,” said Ramsey.

The win moved the Redskins a half-game in front of the idle Giants in the NFC East. The teams meet again Dec. 7 at Giants Stadium in a game that will likely decide the division title.

“We would love to have beat the Giants,” said Spurrier. “If we had to do it over again. we’d probably rather have beaten them and lost somewhere else, because they’re in the division.”